“ I can’t believe you invited everyone over here, Justin,” Monica huffed as she scurried around the kitchen.
“I can’t believe you wouldn’t let me hire someone to fix the food.” Justin retorted playfully from his perch on the kitchen counter, watching with amusement as his girlfriend of a year and a half rushed around.
Monica stopped and pushed a strand of honey blond hair out of her face. “You could help ya know.” she said pointedly, before opening the refrigerator to take out some food she’d placed in there earlier.
“Yeah, I could…” Justin trailed off.
“Mon! Where’s your lighter? Or matches, or something! I need something to light the candles with ya know!” Monica’s best friend Kimberly walked into the kitchen.
“But that’s what she’s here for,” Justin finished with a grin. He hopped off the counter and kissed Monica’s cheek before darting out and to the living room.
“Ugh! He drives me crazy sometimes!” Monica rolled her eyes. She looked to Kimberly. “Second drawer on the right there should be a box of matches.,” she answered.
“It’s not like he’d help. He’d probably burn something or break something,” Kimberly joked, her baby blue eyes twinkling. Monica laughed.
“You’re right,” she giggled and opened the oven to pull of the ham she’d been cooking for hours. “Everything’s just about ready anyway.”
“Finally!” Kimberly joked and headed back into the dining room to light the candles. Monica ran a hand through her short, flipped out hair and leaned against the counter. She’d been busting her ass all day to pull this together. Justin decided three days ago to invite everyone over. She’d cooked ham , made all kinds of other dishes and desserts. Chris’s girlfriend, as well as Joey’s were bringing food too. She was thankful for that. She set the ham out and turned off the oven, then reached for the knife…
“Ahh! Damn!!” Kimberly shouted from the dining room. Monica jumped and nicked her finger with the night.
“Ahh! Jesus!!” Monica cried out as well. She dropped the knife and held her finger. Justin was in the kitchen not two seconds later.
“What happened, are you okay?” he asked as he rushed over to her. Monica rolled her eyes.
“yes, I’m fine. I cut myself when Kimmy yelled. It made me jump,” Monica explained as she turned on the sink and ran the water over her finger.
“Hey! I’m okay too by the way!!” Kimberly said indignantly as she walked into the kitchen, sucking on her finger. She stuck her finger under the water as well.
“Ya know what?” Justin asked, chuckling. “Next time, I’m HIRING someone and I don’t care what you say,” he said.
“Next time? Next time, it’ll be at Lance’s house cuz he likes to do stuff like this.” Monica argued.
“Whateva!” Justin shook his head.
“Uh-oh, Justy’s goin’ ghetto on ya!” Kimberly joked as she grabbed band-aids for her and Monica.
“Not that!” Monica said sarcastically.
Justin rolled his eyes. “Shuddup! Ya know ya like it! You love me anyway!” Justin retorted and stuck his tongue out at the two blondes.
“HEY!! WHERE THE PARTY AT?!” Chris’s voice rang out from somewhere in the house.
“I told you to lock the door!” Monica cried out and Justin burst into laughter.
“WHERE’S THE FOOD!!” Joey’s voice came a few seconds later. Kimberly laughed.
“Gotta love ‘em,” She said, shaking her head.
Suddenly Chris burst into the kitchen. “My friends!!!” he shouted happily.
“Chris, what the hell is on your head?” Justin asked. Chris had a black band around his forehead that had a pole sticking strait up and dangling from the pole was a piece of mistletoe. Chris stopped at Kimberly. When he stood in front of her, the mistletoe hung right above their head.
“Gimme a kiss Kimmy!!” he said and puckered up his lips.
“Ahh, no way!” Kimmy shook her head, and pushed him away. Monica and Justin burst into laughter. Chris’s girlfriend, Erica, walked in.
“She’ll kiss me!” Chris said and ran over and kissed her.
“Geez, Chris. What did I tell you? If you’re going to wear that thing…” she trailed off and waited for him to answer.
“I can’t harass the other girls,’ Chris finished dutifully. Erica smiled.
“Exactly.” she nodded. “Mon, here’s the cheesecake.” she said and set the pie tin she’d been carrying down. Joey and his girlfriend walked in, Joey carrying a bag of holiday colored chips, open, with his hand in them.
“Joey!” Kimberly cried out, laughing.
“Oh, it’s okay,” Jamie waved her off. I brought those b/ c I knew Joe would try and be funny and eat the chips…” she said, she pushed a strand of her jet black hair behind her ear and held up a bag. “here’s the real chips and the cheese dip I made.” she said and set them on the counter.
“Alright, thanks guys,” Monica said and got to work organizing the food.
“Hey, boys?” Jamie looked over at Joey, Justin, and Chris. They all looked over from where they were talking about Chris’s head ornament. “Leave,” she pointed. They all groaned and walked out. “Now let’s get to work.’
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
“Merry Christmas everyone!” Monica said and hugged everyone. Eventually Lance and JC showed up and they all sat down to eat. Monica loved spending time with the guys and their girlfriends. Lance and JC didn’t have ones at the time; but she loved Jamie and Erica. The group ate their fill, then the guys goofed around while the girls cleared the table and took everything into the kitchen.
After dinner, they all gathered around the huge piano that Justin had bought last year and JC played Christmas songs and they all sang along. Chris, having, ditched the mistletoe attachment at dinner, sprawled across the top of the piano and sang ‘Chestnut’s Roasting on an Open Fire’ seductively.
They all spent hours afterwards around the fireplace talking and laughing. One of the things Monica loved most about Justin was how excited and happy he was around his friends. He loved them deeply and Monica loved to see the way his whole face lit up whenever he got to spend time with them.
But eventually everyone got tired and headed home. Now it was time to clean up the mess. Justin was talking with JC, who, as usual, was the last to finally go home. Monica hugged JC and kissed his cheek before heading to the kitchen to wash dishes.
** ** **
“You were great tonight, sweetie.” Justin’s voice spoke softly. Monica smiled as she continued to wash dishes.
“Thanks, I guess I do well under pressure, huh?” she joked. She heard Justin chuckle.
“I promise I won’t ever pull something like this on you again,” he said. “Well, at least if I do, I’ll give you a whole week to prepare.” he added. Monica rolled her eyes and giggled. She turned off the water and grabbed a dish towel to dry her hands and turned around. She opened her mouth to make a smart comment but stopped.
Justin had Chris’s mistletoe contraption hanging from his head.
“I stole it,” Justin grinned mischievously. Monica sighed and rolled her hazel eyes again.
“Justin you are the biggest dork,” she said as she dried her hands. She tossed the dish towel onto the counter. She smiled up at him. He looked like a complete dork. His curls sticking up above the black band, a huge grin on his face. Monica loved him for it.
“But you love me anyway,” he pointed out, walking towards her.
“I know I do.” Monica winked. Justin walked over to stand directly in front of her, the mistletoe above their heads. Monica giggled once more before looking into Justin’s crystal blue eyes. “Well, you aren’t wearing that dorky thing for nothing are ya?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Nah, I wore it so I could get a kiss from JC,” Justin shrugged. Monica laughed and cupped the back of Justin’s neck with her hand and pulled him down to cover his lips with hers. She felt Justin smile against her lips and his arms slide around her waist. He deepened the kiss and Monica felt butterflies swarm through her stomach and she felt like she was on air. It was one of the dozens of things that made her love him so much. After a year and a half, he gave her butterflies every time their lips touched.
Justin pulled away and placed a feathery kiss on Monica’s forehead. “ I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you too,” Monica replied. “Merry Christmas, Justin.”
“Merry Christmas, Mami,” Justin replied casually, a grin creeping across his face.
“I told you, you were a dork!” Monica burst into giggles. “That name is so stupid.” she playfully pushed Justin’s shoulder. Justin laughed and hugged her.
“You love me anyway,” he said in a singsong voice.
“ Yeah, yeah…I always will,” Monica said before kissing him again.